The invention relates to hand trucks and more particularly to hand trucks for use on a construction site for handling masonry products such as bricks or masonry blocks.
Masonry products are commonly delivered by motor truck to a construction site in units of approximately 400 or more. The units generally consist of approximately four subunits each of which contains approximately 100 bricks or blocks encircled and held together by a strapping tape. These subunits are commonly called a band. The bricks or blocks are arranged in the band to provide openings in the lower portion of the banded subunits to permit tongs of a lift truck to be inserted for lifting the banded subunit for transport to the work area from the point of truck unloading.
One of the problems with the transport of the stacks or bands is that the terrain of construction sites is such that the masonry products, upon unloading from the motor truck, are frequently positioned on unlevel ground. Furthermore, the bricks and other masonry products come in a variety of sizes such that the openings provided in the lower portion of the subunits or bands vary considerably in their positions. This makes it frequently necessary to adjust the vertical and horizontal position of the tongs relative to the ground. Such adjustment is time consuming and labor intensive. Due to the high cost of labor in the construction industry, such adjustment makes transportation of the banded units from the delivery site to the work areas a relatively time consuming and expensive operation. This is especially true when care is being exercised to avoid damage to the masonry products.